All Of It with Alison Stewart
Episode: Live Music From the Stars of Broadway's 'Chess'
Date: April 3, 2026
Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guests: Lea Michele (Florence), Aaron Tveit (Freddie), Nicholas Christopher (Anatoly), plus mentions of Hannah Cruz (Svetlana), Michael Mayer (director), Danny Strong (librettist)
Episode Overview
This episode of All Of It features a vibrant live discussion and musical performance with the cast and creative team of the Broadway musical Chess. Recorded in front of a sold-out audience at WNYC’s Green Space, host Alison Stewart and her guests dive into character dynamics, cast chemistry, recording the new cast album, and the emotional significance of performing at the historic Imperial Theatre. The episode concludes with a live performance of “You and I” by Lea Michele and Nicholas Christopher.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Character Dynamics: Genius, Ego, and Relationships
- Florence, Freddie, Anatoly:
- Florence’s View: Florence is drawn to Freddie’s genius despite his ego, but finds more stability and safety with Anatoly.
- “Because of [Freddie's] genius, it allows her to sort of sometimes ignore the negative. With Anatoly...there is so much more that is safer for her and loving.”
— Lea Michele [01:15, 17:19]
- “Because of [Freddie's] genius, it allows her to sort of sometimes ignore the negative. With Anatoly...there is so much more that is safer for her and loving.”
- Freddie’s Complexity: Freddie’s brilliance is entwined with narcissism and mental health struggles, born from fame at a young age.
- “His narcissism is also at play and brilliance...it’s like poison for him because the more notoriety he gets, the more narcissistic he is, but the more terrified he is.”
— Aaron Tveit [01:57, 18:00]
- “His narcissism is also at play and brilliance...it’s like poison for him because the more notoriety he gets, the more narcissistic he is, but the more terrified he is.”
- Rivalry and Respect: Initially, Freddie’s anti-Soviet bias blinds him to respecting Anatoly, but this evolves to understanding and mutual respect.
- “At the beginning, Freddie’s also kind of blinded by his deep rooted hate for the Soviet Union...By the end, we come to this kind of mutual understanding.”
— Aaron Tveit [03:19, 19:22] - “There’s a fascination of how you navigate the world that is the complete antithesis of the way Anatoly has been programmed.”
— Nicholas Christopher [02:49, 18:52]
- “At the beginning, Freddie’s also kind of blinded by his deep rooted hate for the Soviet Union...By the end, we come to this kind of mutual understanding.”
- Florence’s View: Florence is drawn to Freddie’s genius despite his ego, but finds more stability and safety with Anatoly.
Onstage Chemistry & Relationships
- Anatoly & Svetlana:
- Nicholas Christopher praises Hannah Cruz (Svetlana) for her impact with limited stage time and describes Anatoly's complex, wounded, but deeply connected relationship with her.
- “There’s a lot of hurt, there are a lot of open wounds there. And so there is an amount of distrust. And yet there is this odd, like, physical comfort with each other...”
— Nicholas Christopher [04:19, 20:26]
- “There’s a lot of hurt, there are a lot of open wounds there. And so there is an amount of distrust. And yet there is this odd, like, physical comfort with each other...”
- Nicholas Christopher praises Hannah Cruz (Svetlana) for her impact with limited stage time and describes Anatoly's complex, wounded, but deeply connected relationship with her.
- Cast Bonding:
- Recording the cast album brought everyone together, rekindling the camaraderie of early rehearsals.
- “For the first time since rehearsal, we were all in one room again...We got to eat dinner together and really like snack and joke around and have this experience.”
— Nicholas Christopher [08:08, 24:11]
- “For the first time since rehearsal, we were all in one room again...We got to eat dinner together and really like snack and joke around and have this experience.”
- Recording the cast album brought everyone together, rekindling the camaraderie of early rehearsals.
Recording the Cast Album
- Studio vs. Stage:
- Lea Michele and Aaron Tveit describe the challenge and thrill of capturing live performance energy in the studio.
- “I was really sort of worried that I wouldn’t be able to find that same sort of power and connection. But something really special just happened...I got to look at everyone and sing the words to our whole cast.”
— Lea Michele [05:38, 21:41] - “To be in that recording studio and just having like, a fully immersive sonic experience with that music was really remarkable to me. I was once again reminded just how incredible this music is.”
— Aaron Tveit [07:08, 23:11]
- “I was really sort of worried that I wouldn’t be able to find that same sort of power and connection. But something really special just happened...I got to look at everyone and sing the words to our whole cast.”
- The new recording of “Nobody’s Side” is out now, with more tracks coming soon.
- Lea Michele and Aaron Tveit describe the challenge and thrill of capturing live performance energy in the studio.
The Imperial Theatre’s Significance
- Personal Milestone for Lea Michele:
- Lea Michele reflects emotionally on debuting at the Imperial Theatre as a child in Les Misérables, describing it as “home”.
- “I wrote my college essay that got me accepted into NYU about the Imperial Theater...it was where I made my debut in Les Mis when I was 8 years old...it’s the happiest I’ve ever been in a work experience in my life.”
— Lea Michele [09:14, 25:21]
- “I wrote my college essay that got me accepted into NYU about the Imperial Theater...it was where I made my debut in Les Mis when I was 8 years old...it’s the happiest I’ve ever been in a work experience in my life.”
- Lea Michele reflects emotionally on debuting at the Imperial Theatre as a child in Les Misérables, describing it as “home”.
Working Together—Bringing “Sweeney Todd” Experience to “Chess”
- Mutual Trust and Playfulness:
- Though Aaron and Nicholas didn’t rehearse extensively together on Sweeney Todd, their previous collaboration built a foundation of trust and openness in Chess.
- “Nick had such an innate playfulness on stage...I just had so much respect for Nick for, you know, his talent and what he brought...to actually experience an entire rehearsal process and build something with him has just been really amazing.”
— Aaron Tveit [10:39, 26:42] - “I really had a trust with him of, like, we can go wherever, or if somebody makes a decision, we’ll just go with it and see what happens.”
— Nicholas Christopher [11:20, 27:23]
- “Nick had such an innate playfulness on stage...I just had so much respect for Nick for, you know, his talent and what he brought...to actually experience an entire rehearsal process and build something with him has just been really amazing.”
- Though Aaron and Nicholas didn’t rehearse extensively together on Sweeney Todd, their previous collaboration built a foundation of trust and openness in Chess.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
“There’s a fascination...of how you navigate the world that is the complete antithesis of the way Anatoly has been programmed.”
— Nicholas Christopher [02:49, 18:52] -
“The more notoriety he gets, the more narcissistic he is, but the more terrified he is...this constant cycle...tied into his intelligence and the game of chess and his fame.”
— Aaron Tveit [01:57, 18:00] -
“It’s really the happiest I’ve ever been in a work experience in my life.”
— Lea Michele on returning to the Imperial Theatre [09:14, 25:21] -
“For the first time since rehearsal, we were all in one room again… that’s what I’ll be thinking about as I listen to the cast album when it comes out.”
— Nicholas Christopher [08:08, 24:11]
Musical Highlight: Live Performance of “You and I”
- Setup:
- Lea Michele describes the song as a pivotal emotional moment for Florence and Anatoly, marking a crack in their previously safe relationship.
- “...the first time that we can see a real crack happening between the two of us and in our relationship. And something that felt so pure and safe is now sort of being...attacked.”
— Lea Michele [12:01, 28:04]
- “...the first time that we can see a real crack happening between the two of us and in our relationship. And something that felt so pure and safe is now sort of being...attacked.”
- Lea Michele describes the song as a pivotal emotional moment for Florence and Anatoly, marking a crack in their previously safe relationship.
- Performance:
- “You and I” performed by Lea Michele and Nicholas Christopher (Florence and Anatoly), accompanied by live narration.
[13:11–15:39, 29:14–31:43]
- “You and I” performed by Lea Michele and Nicholas Christopher (Florence and Anatoly), accompanied by live narration.
Important Timestamps
- 01:01 / 17:05 — Character discussions: genius, ego, and relationships
- 04:19 / 20:26 — Nicholas on Anatoly & Svetlana’s relationship
- 05:38 / 21:41 — Recording the cast album: emotions and process
- 09:14 / 25:21 — Lea Michele on the significance of the Imperial Theatre
- 10:39 / 26:42 — Bringing experiences from Sweeney Todd to Chess
- 12:01 / 28:04 — Setting up “You and I”
- 13:11–15:39 / 29:14–31:43 — Live performance: “You and I” by Lea Michele & Nicholas Christopher
Closing Notes
- Lea Michele departs Chess on June 21 (to be succeeded by JoJo Levesque on June 23).
- The event video is available on WNYC’s YouTube.
- Next Broadway on the Radio event features the cast of Ragtime on April 17th.
Tone: Conversational, insightful, warm, and enthusiastic—capturing the camaraderie and passion of the Broadway cast both on and off the stage.